Which Teacher Impacted You? We Asked, You Answered

We can all think back to an educator who ignited a love of learning in each of us. For Teacher Appreciation Week, and the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board, we asked the EdTrust community — advocates, staff, and even teachers themselves — about their favorite teachers, as well as pressing questions regarding race, equity, and the importance of the Brown v. Board ruling.

Who is a teacher that has positively impacted you? Who would you like to highlight during Teacher Appreciation Week? 

“Two teachers I would like to highlight during Teacher Appreciation Week are Aaron Hargroves and Christy Drake. They both work at my school and are both retiring this year. Mrs. Drake has inspired me to go back to school and get another degree for me.” —Jamika Walker, seventh grade math teacher, East Ridge Middle School, TN

“I want to highlight high school Social Studies teacher Brian Lampman, at Saline High School in Michigan. Brian supervised me as a student teacher, and I got to watch him use his role and positionality as a white man teaching about DEI and racial justice with compassion, care, and tenacity. He developed a Sports Sociology class that was very engaging for high schoolers, but also an important vehicle to get students talking about social justice. He also helped me find my way to education policy.” —Kristen Hengtgen, senior policy analyst, EdTrust, DC

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